diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b02940d..6402d23 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ else
 	ft_config="$freetype_config"
 fi
 
-FREETYPE_CFLAGS="$($ft_config --cflags)"
-FREETYPE_LIBS="$($ft_config --libs)"
+FREETYPE_CFLAGS="`$ft_config --cflags`"
+FREETYPE_LIBS="`$ft_config --libs`"
 
 AC_SUBST(FREETYPE_LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(FREETYPE_CFLAGS)
diff --git a/fc-lang/fc-lang.c b/fc-lang/fc-lang.c
index 7e76c47..ef259bc 100644
--- a/fc-lang/fc-lang.c
+++ b/fc-lang/fc-lang.c
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ get_lang (char *name)
 
     while ((c = *name++))
     {
-	if (isupper (c))
-	    c = tolower (c);
+	if (isupper ((int) (unsigned char) c))
+	    c = tolower ((int) (unsigned char) c);
 	if (c == '_')
 	    c = '-';
 	if (c == ' ')